Technology and Science

President Barack Obama ordered on February 12, 2013 that the U.S. government work with "owners and operators of critical infrastructure" to share information about cyber threats and attacks and to implement common cybersecurity standards. A year later, on February 12, 2014, the National Institute for Standards and Technology issued the framework for improving cybersecurity.

Despite being criticized by many economists as being inherently deflationary and eyed with suspicion by government financial regulators, Bitcoin continues to grow in popularity. Gavin Andresen from the Bitcoin Foundation and Douglas Rediker of the Petersen Institute of International Economics discuss what Bitcoin is and where it is headed in the future.

"First, the United States is, and remains, the technology center of the world, with an unmatched amount of researchers and R&D money and the kind of cultural hard-wiring that continues to produce breathtaking discoveries. Second, China is catching up."

Despite being criticized by many economists as being inherently deflationary and eyed with suspicion by government financial regulators, Bitcoin continues to grow in popularity. Gavin Andresen from the Bitcoin Foundation and Douglas Rediker of the Petersen Institute of International Economics discuss what Bitcoin is and where it is headed in the future.

Despite being criticized by many economists as being inherently deflationary and eyed with suspicion by government financial regulators, Bitcoin continues to grow in popularity. Gavin Andresen from the Bitcoin Foundation and Douglas Rediker of the Petersen Institute of International Economics discuss what Bitcoin is and where it is headed in the future.

How can the United States protect cyberspace "control system of our country," without restricting the open "flow of information on the Internet"? What should countries consider when developing international cybersecurity standards and protocol? What should their citizens know to protect their information and their rights? Cybersecurity Policy Research Links provide news, background information, legislation, analysis, and international efforts to protect government and the public's information.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter released a policy for setting controls on transferring U.S. arms, except for countries with whom the United States had defense treaties. The policy requires an evaluation of a country's human rights record and the economic impact such transfers would have on countries receiving U.S. economic assistance. In February 1995, President Bill Clinton approved a classified policy which included restraints for arms transfers that may be destabilize or threaten to regional peace and security. In January 2014, President Barack Obama updated the policy again with Presidential Policy Directive 27 (PPD-27), to state more clearly the criteria for arms transfer decisions and the transfer of technical data and related services.

This meeting of the Roundtable Series on Digital Policy discusses U.S. efforts to work with countries in the developing world on increasing their connectivity, content, and capacity to participate in global efforts to safeguard the open Internet.

Commissioner Julie Brill discusses U.S. and EU efforts to enhance consumer privacy and develop globally interoperable solutions in the digital marketplace, as well as her innovative proposals for updating Internet privacy policy and rebuilding the transatlantic consensus on privacy, at this meeting of the Roundtable Series on Digital Privacy.

"Samsung's sales are equal to about one-quarter of South Korea's economic output. Samsung Electronics, the flagship, posted $190 billion in sales last year—about the same sales as Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook combined."

Peter Orszag and Cass Sunstein write that governments should use "nudges"—policies that harness economics and psychology to encourage certain behaviors—to deliver major benefits without imposing big costs on the public or private sector.

Renewing America

U.S. space exploration inspired a generation of students and innovators, but NASA's role has diminished, and the number of global space competitors is growing. This Backgrounder explores U.S. competitiveness in space.

All the key barriers to the artificial synthesis of viruses and bacteria have been overcome, spawning a dizzying array of perils and promises. But as the scientific community forges ahead, the biosecurity establishment remains behind the curve.

CFR Experts Guide

The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.

New Council Special Reports

Campbell evaluates the implications of the Boko Haram insurgency and recommends that the United States support Nigerian efforts to address the drivers of Boko Haram, such as poverty and corruption, and to foster stronger ties with Nigerian civil society.

Koblentz argues that the United States should work with other nuclear-armed states to manage threats to nuclear stability in the near term and establish processes for multilateral arms control efforts over the longer term.

The authors argue that it is essential to begin working now to expand and establish rules and norms governing armed drones, thereby creating standards of behavior that other countries will be more likely to follow.

2014 Annual Report

Learn more about CFR’s mission and its work over the past year in the 2014 Annual Report. The Annual Report spotlights new initiatives, high-profile events, and authoritative scholarship from CFR experts, and includes a message from CFR President Richard N. Haass.Read and download »